ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – After several years of mounting concern over dead whales and dolphins washing ashore, the number of strandings along the New Jersey and New York coasts has dropped sharply this year.
Environmental observers report that whale deaths are down roughly 76 percent and dolphin and porpoise deaths down about 42 percent compared with 2023.
The findings, drawn from local advocacy group Save the Dolphins and Whales NJ, mark the steepest decline since the height of the so-called “mortality event” that gripped the region through 2022 and 2023.
Researchers, state officials, and industry critics are divided over what explains the shift.
Whale and dolphin strandings surged through 2023
Between 2020 and 2023, the New Jersey–New York coastline became an epicenter of marine mammal strandings. Reports from NOAA Fisheries and regional news outlets documented a spike in humpback whale carcasses and mass dolphin deaths, far above the two-decade average. In 2023 alone, at least 13 humpback whales stranded between the two states, alongside multiple dolphin incidents, including a mass stranding that killed eight animals in one day.
Earlier years showed far lower numbers: around 12 stranded whales annually in 2019 and 2020, falling to about five in 2021 before the surge began. National data from NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Region echoed the trend, confirming that 2022–2023 represented the highest stranding rates in years.
Wind farm critics draw connection to sonar and survey work
As strandings rose, opponents of offshore wind projects argued that the deaths correlated with the rapid expansion of survey and construction activity off the coast.
They point to sonar mapping, seismic testing, and pile driving as potential disruptors to marine mammals’ navigation systems, potentially leading to disorientation, collisions, or entanglement.
Advocacy reports cited a spike in survey-vessel mileage that paralleled increased whale deaths, suggesting a statistical relationship between survey intensity and strandings. Critics say the decline this year may coincide with a slowdown in offshore wind work after several large projects were delayed or canceled.
Agencies dispute link, citing long-term causes
Federal and state regulators reject the claim that offshore wind activity caused the strandings. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection maintains that “no credible evidence” supports a connection between wind survey operations and whale mortality.
NOAA Fisheries likewise states that vessel strikes and fishing-gear entanglement remain the leading causes of death for large whales along the East Coast.
Scientists also note that proving acoustic trauma post-mortem is difficult because soft tissues and ear structures decompose quickly, leaving little physical evidence. Environmental assessments filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management acknowledge possible disturbance risks from turbine construction but emphasize that permitted survey activities include mitigation to avoid harm to marine mammals.
Sharp 2025 decline raises cautious optimism
The dramatic reduction in strandings this year has reignited debate. Some groups argue that the downturn reinforces suspicions that reduced wind survey activity benefited marine life. Others caution that the decline could reflect ordinary ecological variation, lower vessel traffic, or incomplete reporting.
While the data remain preliminary, the trend marks a clear reversal from the alarming mortality of recent years. Both supporters and skeptics agree that continued monitoring and independent research are crucial to understanding whether human activities—or natural factors—drove the changes.
